Man Fatally Shot By SPD After Brandishing a Gun at a Bus Stop—New Reform Team Reviewing Case

Yesterday night, Seattle Police responded to a 911 call reporting a man standing at a 1st Ave bus stop, "waving a gun around," according to the SPD Blotter.

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When police arrived, they found the man still brandishing a gun—leading an officer to shoot the man from with his patrol rifle. The man was taken to Harborview for life-threatening injuries. Today, the man died as a result of his wounds.

The case sees the arrival of the new "Office of Professional Accountability" teams, which will now be sent to provide oversight of SPD investigations. The teams were implemented as of Jan. 1 in wake of the Department of Justice's investigation into SPD, which was sparked by numerous claims of police brutality and excessive force. The new team does not investigate criminal cases themselves—merely observing officers as they go about their work in an effort to provide accountability.